Machine for molding plastic blocks.



No. 783,299. PATENTED FEB, 21, 1905. J. MQDQWELL. MACHINE FOR MOLDINGPLASTIC BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15, 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

28 21 F2 .2 WITNESSES: 9 mvamon im M flZ fifli l ATTORNEYS No. 783,299.PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

J. M. MUDOWELL.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING PLASTIC BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented February 21, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. MCDOWELL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING PLASTIC BLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 83,299, datedFebruary 21, 1905.

Application filed April 15, 1904. Serial No. 203,335.

To all Ill/7 0777, it non/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. MCDOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for MoldingPlastic Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement inplastic-block-molding machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a pivoted body that may bereadily tilted forward in order that a Waterproofing or ornamentalcoating may be applied to the side of the mold, so that the block may beformed face forward instead of face down, as has heretofore been thepractice.

Another feature lies in the adjusting means whereby the bed-plate may bereadily raised or lowered.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, and eflicient andsimple and comparatively inexpensive to make and one in which theseveral parts willnot be liable to get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thenovel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is an end elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 00 w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa detail elevation of the rack and its adjacent parts, and Fig. 6 is adetail plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the end plates, which arepreferably of a triangular shape, having their apexes inverted andformed along their upper ends with overhanging flanges 2, provided withapertures 3, adapted to receive bolts 4, which pass through theupwardly-curved ends of longitudinal connecting-bars 5. Any number ofthese apertures 3 may be provided, and the bolts 4 of the bars 5 may beengaged with any of these apertures to adjust the width of the frame toaccommodate molds of various sizes. The end plates 2 are connected attheir lower ends by a rod 6, which is suitably secured thereto.

Supported between the end plates 1 and nearer their upper ends is aframe-plate 7 which is fixedly secured and supports fixed cores 8.Sliding on the cores 8 is a bed-plate 9, which supports the pallet 10and is provided with hinge-lugs 1.1, placed on each side of its fourcorners and adapted to receive the hinge members 12 of the pivoted doors13. The doors or hopper-plates 13 are provided with outwardly-projectingribs 14, which engage antifriction-rollers 15,adjustably mounted on theconnecting-bars 5 and the flanges 2. It will be readily seen by anobservation of Fig. 3 that upon lowering the bed-plate 9 the doors 13will be closed by the rollers 15, which bear against the ribs 14. Thebed-plate 9 is supported on transverse flanges 16, formed integral onthe upper ends of the curved arms 17. The arms 17 are integralextensions of sliding blocks 18, which are guided in vertical slots 19,formed central of the end plates 1. The blocks 18 are provided with lugs20, having openings through which guide-rods 21 pass. The guide-rodsextend from the bottom to the top of the end plates in the center of theslot 19 and are fixedly secured by any suitable means. Verticallyadjustable on the guide-rods 21 are collars 22, provided with set-screws23, by which they may be fastened at any point along the guide-rods 21,and thus limit the downward movement of the blocks 18. Integral racks 24are formed on each of the blocks and project laterally on the outside ofthe plates 1. The racks are engaged by pinions 25, which are mounted onsuitable shafts 26, supported on the outer sides of the plates 1 andhaving keyed on their outer endsa large gear-wheel 27. The gear-wheel 27is revolved by a pinion 28 meshing therewith and secured upon a shaft29, suitably rotatably mounted on the outside of the end plate 1, whichcarries a crank 30. It will thus be seen that upon turning the crank 30the pinion 28 meshingwiththe gear 27 will cause the latter to turn andset in motion the pinion 25, which meshing with the rack will raise orlower the sliding block 18,

according to the direction in which the crank 30 is turned, and theblock 18, supportingthe bed-plate 9,.through the extending arms 17 willraise or lower the same, the downward movement being limited by thecollar 22, which has been previously set at the desired point.

' Secured upon the outer sides of the end plate 1 and nearer the upperportions thereof are trunnion-plates 31 which are bowed out to allow thesliding blocks 18 free movement and formed with flanges 32, by whichthey are secured to the end plate, preferably by bolts 33. The centralupper portion of each trunnion-plate is cut away at 34, so as to affordthe sliding blocks 18 unlimited vertical movement. The plates 31 areprovided with trunnions 35, suitably secured thereto and having theirouter ends supported in boxes 36, formed on the upper ends of standards37, which latter are connected by longitudinal bars 38 and 39,Projecting upwardly and secured to the rear side of each of thestandards 37 is a bracket 38, which has pivotally secured to its upperend a dog 39. A segment 40, having notches 41, adapted tobe engaged bythe dog 39, is bolted to theouter side of the trunnionplate 31. Thus itwill be seen that the frame may belocked either in its level position orin its tilted position by merely engaging the pawl 39 in the notches 41when the frame is swung to either of the said positions.

It is obvious that by raising the dogs 39 the frame A may be tiltedforward and the dogs 39 engaged in the notches 41 at the rear end of thesegments 40. The bed-plate 9 having been raised by the meanshereinbefore described, the doors 13 will rest in the open positionshown in Fig. 3, and thus when the frame A is in its tilted position thefront door 13 will lie in substantially a horizontal plane, thusallowing a waterproofing or ornamenting coating to be applied thereto,when the dogs 39 may again be lifted and the frame tilted back to itsoriginal position, the bedplate 9 being lowered through the medium ofthe sliding blocks 18 and the rack 24 and the gears 25, 27, and 28. Saiddoors will be closed by the ribs 14 contacting with theantifriction-rollers 15. be lowered until it rests on the frame-plate 7and the mold thus formed. The machine is now in position to receive theplastic material, which is placed in the molds about the lixed cores 8and tamped until the block has been formed, when the bed-plate 9 mayagain be raised, the cores remaining fixed and the doors opening, asshown in Fig. 3. The block is now removed, and the operations describedThus the bed-plate will may be repeated to form other blocks. It will beobserved that by applying the coating to the side of the mold instead ofto the bottom the block may be formed face forward instead of face downand that the coating may be much more expeditiously and eflicientlyapplied and that a better block will be produced. I do not wish to limitmyself to the exact details of construction and operation herein setforth, as I may make various changes in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the type set forth, a frame, a bed-plate movablewithin the frame, hinged doors secured to the bed-plate, slidable meansguided by the frame and supporting the bedplate, means for moving theslidable means, standards for pivotally supporting the frame whereby itmay be tilted, and means for looking the frame into position.

2. In a machine of the type set forth, the combination with hinged doorsand a movable bedplate supporting the same, of a frame comprising endplates having vertical guide-slots,

rods supported within the slots, blocks sliding on the rods within theslots, arms projecting inwardly from the blocks and supporting thebed-plate, means engaging with the blocks for sliding the same,trunnions supported from the end plates, standards supporting thetrunnions, and means for locking the frame in position.

3. In a machine of the type set forth,the com bination with fixed coresand a vertically-movable bed-plate, of a frame comprising end plateshaving vertical guide-slots, guide-rods secured within the guide-slots,blocks sliding on the rods within the slots, means for limiting thedownward movement of the blocks, arms projecting from the blocks andsupporting the bed-plate,iracks formed integral with the slide-blocks,gears engaging with the rack for vertically moving the slide-blocks, andmeans for pivotally supporting the end plates.

4:. In a machine of the type set forth, the combination with a movablebed-plate, of sliding blocks having integral upwardly-extending armssupporting the bed-plate, integral racks projecting from the blocks,means for slidably supporting the blocks, means for sliding the blocks,and adjustablemeans for limiting the downward movement of the blocks.

JOSEPH M. MCDOWELL.

In presence of A. L. PHELPS, W. L, MORROW.

